Klarinet Archive - Posting 000197.txt from 1998/04

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: re:old clarinet price
Date: Sun, 5 Apr 1998 19:28:12 -0400

At 09:30 PM 4/4/98 -0500, David Blumberg wrote:
>Yeh, and if my last sports car were still new, it would be $40000. The $500
>sounds like a good price, but the "if it were new" garbage is a load of
>bull. IT IS USED!!!!!!!! The retail back then was more like $1400, IF that.
>I bought a set of Selmer's (Pro model, model name purposely not mentioned)
>back in 1988 for $1600 FOR THE SET (yes, sixteen hundred), I didn't keep
>them (oh, that's Another story). True, I got the dealers cost, but that's
>what they cost back 10 years ago.
>
I think the main reason for giving the new price is to help compare against
current new models for what LEVEL of instrument we are talking about. Yes,
it is a used horn, and cannot be compared directly against a new one. But
assuming it is in good condition, its age is not necessarily a liability,
and may even be an asset (it is shown to be relatively unlikely to crack,
and some say the wood IMPROVES with age). Using as a value base its
original price new is even MORE bogus, since its value NOW is the only
thing that matters (unless you have some 1980 dollars lying around to buy
it with). :-)

But as someone else pointed out, don't buy it just because it has Selmer
(or Buffet, of Leblanc) stamped on it. If you don't like it, it is not
worth $500 dollars TO YOU.

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html
ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.